2013-01-20 - Ironclad Advice
It's utter chaos on the streets of Metropolis. As Iron Man comes in, he can pick up on the police band, if he's listening, about Vanguard from the Titans involved in a brawl with someone in power armor in the industrial section of Metropolis. The police are hanging back so they stay out of his way while the fight is going on. Dedrick really, really didn't like Intergang. He was out on patrol and saw something lurking around in the Industrial sector and decided to check it out. Now he's being knocked through a warehouse as the man in the power armor fires a green colored beam at him that hits him in the chest. Vanguard steps out of the rubble, but there are torn areas on his new costume as his eyes narrow through the domino mask he wears. "Do you have any idea how it costs to replace this thing?" He lifts both of his hands as a white beam errupts and strikes the thug in the armor, tearing off a section of. Iron Man does make a point to monitor the local bands, and is responding. Flying behind him is a large crate that is moving on repulsor technology behind him. His sensors are already working to get an energy reading of what is going on, and he soon lands near the police line with his armor, "Status Report." His computerized tone is professional and matter-of-fact as he lands, simply expecting people to know who he is as the armor lands nearby, though in front of the police line for Iron Man's logical thought patterns (What if it explodes?! Take out the bad guys instead of the good guys). The thug in power armor uses his jets to go skywards as he rains down multiple shots from the laser on his forearm. Vanguard rolls along the ground, coming to his feet about thirty feet away from Iron Man. "Wait..I know you. Iron Man, right? Long story short...bad man in alien power armor. Wants my head on a pike. I could use a han..." And it's about that time that he's hit with another beam and is knocked into the ground in a small crater. "Man..that hurts.." Well, Vanguard rather than police was the one that answered. It still works. Suddenly the side wall opens up on the mobile armory and Iron Man steps in. The machines inside are moving. Iron Man says to it: "Install multi-beam and pulse barrage." The mobile armory responds with, "Affirmiyes." It goes right to work, the sparks flying and only about thirty seconds later, Iron Man is stepping back out and the side lowers on the mobile armory. "Everyone please stay away from it, it will expode." He then raises a hand to fire a pulse barrage, a low-powered attack, but what it can do is bounce off other objects until it actually meets its target (such as the back of the head) to explode. He then starts to head toward Vanguard which is picking himself up by now. The thug in armor is struck in the back of the head and knocked into the ground by Iron Man's pulse barrage. He's not done yet, but he's picking himself up. Vanguard climbs out of the small crater and brings a hand to his face, shaking it off. "Thank you, Iron Man." He wobbles a little on his feet and then sinks down to a knee. "Name's Vanguard. But you probably already know that." He had heard that when it came to information, Iron Man was usually on top of things. "Duly noted," your name that is. Iron Man then states, "Energy signature reading is exotic, unregistered. Not sure if I want my system absorbing that." Though he does suddenly release a burst of energy that is different from what it would have shown up on television during the live boardcast. This energy arc is more electrical in nature as he comes from his palm and lashes out toward the armored man, as Iron Man sees if he can short-circuit the power armor. "I take it he is not an old friend of yours?" Vanguard answers. "I wouldn't recommend it. He's a memmber of Intergang. Definitely not an old friend, but I have run up against his kind before around here." When Iron Man fires his latest blast, the energy encases the armor as arcs of lightning flit all over it. There is a loud yell from inside of the suit. Perhaps getting shot with electricity wasn't expected. There was nobody in Metropollis with that kind of power, at least not normally..save Livewire..and she wouldn't be attacking /them/. Vanguard smiles. "Nice one. Hang back for a sec, just in case he's playing opossum." His feet lift off the ground as he rockets towards the thug, once there, he begins to literally rip the armor from his body while sparks fly in the air. Iron Man approaches more slowly, catching one of the pieces of flying armor, to run scans of it, and behind it in his own hands to test the durability of it. "I would like to examine the weapon if you could strive not to rip that apart," the computerized voice says. "The Avengers database has some information on Intergang passed on from the Justice League, but not many details on its technology." Vanguard rips off the gauntlet and hands it to Iron Man. "Here. I'm not equipped with a scanner or I'd take a look at it myself. I'm more of a computer tech than an engineer." He admits. He then rips a street light pole out of the ground and bends it around the half-armored thug. He then motions to the officers on the perimeter. "He's all yours, guys." The armor itself isn't all that high tech. It does not have an A.I. Nor does it have shielding, but the metal itself seems to be a titanium alloy. Not easily bent or broken, which gives Iron Man an inkling of the strength of Vanguard. The weapon itself is much more high tech, definitely alien in origin but is constructed in conjunction with previous reports of Intergang weaponry. One of Iron Man's gauntlet hands lashes out with seemingly inhuman speed to catch at the weapon enhanced gauntlet tossed his way. His sensors are already scanning it and translating it into a 3-D hologram back in Stark's Avenger's Lab. Iron Man then asks one of the officers that approaches, "May I take this back with me to Mr. Stark for further study? I can have him write a report to your department about the foundings. From what I have gathered, it is alien in nature. And finding ways to counter Intergang technology is a growing concern from what I understand. I believe it would be murtually benefital for Avengers and the Police Department." Well, that is one way to hint at a potential defense donation. The cops come in and load the thug into the back of a wagon. The cop that Iron Man speaks to shrugs. "I don't care if you take it, Iron Man. Hell, if you can make heads or tails of it, more power to you. At least it'll be off the streets that way." He then moves on to secure the crime scene. Vanguard walks over towards Iron Man and asks. "So, can you get anything out of it?" "Police are very trusting in Metropolis," Iron Man observes. "I would have had to do more bribbing back in New York City." When Vanguard asks, he shakes his head. "Not at this time, just the basics. Mr. Stark will be able to take it part and make more sense out of it though. He managed to understand Kree technology, and has grown to better understand Sh'iar as well, though he rarely makes use of it." Not like he does the Kree and his own technology. "It is merely a matter of time and attention span." Vanguard admits. "Well, these are the police. Not SHIELD agents." He points out. "I had a run-in with those guys after a save. They treated me like /I/ was the hostile. Didn't have to put up with that crap before." He looks down at himself and frowns. "Well if the tech can find a way to save me money on my freaking outfits, I'd have my benefactor fund the research myself." He nods. "I heard that Stark guy was smart." "I'm talking about the NYPD," Iron Man clarifies. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is easier to deal with in a way. I either deal with Black Widow, or the Director." That last one sounds important. He shakes his head, "This is not very impressive armor at all, the weapon would only be useful potentially as a weapon. Force field and absorption technology could likely be adapted to it which is more what I plan to have Mr. Stark look into." Iron Man then seems to shrug, "He has his moments," and starts to walk back to the mobile armory then, which is currently yelling at anyone that gets close to it. "Steps awayes or I blow up in yours faceses." The mobile armory does at least have a warning system. "He needs to fix that. One of these days. Least it is operational after short notice," Iron Man comments. Vanguard follows along behind Iron Man. "I wasn't aware the NYPD was that jaded." He follows along and his eyes widen underneath his domino mask as he looks at the mobile armory. "Dude, you have the coolest gear. I wish I had a genius tech guy making my stuff. I'm so jealous!" He moves to put a gloved hand on the side of it. Just to see what it feels like. "They are. I hear GCPD is even worse." Iron Man then nods at the reflection of coolest gear. The mobile armory then says toward Vanguard, "Unhandsey me, be four I blow up in yours faceses." "Mobile Armory, cancel the explosion defense for this single visit by Vanguard." The side then starts to slide up as Iron Man steps inside. He states, "Remove armory previously equipped during last session." The mobile armory starts to remove the accessory to Iron Man's repulsors and uni-beam. If Vanguard gets a little too close, one of the robotic arms with reach out and zap at him with electricity and heat, protective of its innards. Vanguard only peers inside while the robotic arms remove cerntain parts of the armor. "That's sick, man. But I think your sofware is bad or something. It doesn't talk right." He comments. "Relax...er...armory guy. I'm not gonna steal anything." He almost makes a racial remark, but decides against it. "Stark set you up well, Iron Man. You must pay him some serious cash for this stuff." "I do not pay him anything," Iron Man says. "I am his bodyguard. And though my responsibilities have gone more lax over the years, I have rescued him countless times and proven my worth. Not that I am successful all the time." He does not go into details with that, though he is remembering Sawyer. The armory finishes and points a robotic arm at Vanguard, "You relaxes, as I stabyes yous." "Right, why is Mr. Stark's A.I.s always have attitude and/or obedience issues?" Iron Man is honestly asking this of himself. "In either case," and he moves to step outside of the mobile armor as it shuts up tight once more, "Mr. Stark also funds much of the non-profit organization, The Avengers. He is their personal Tech Guy, and an honorary member of the team as a result, decided by Captain America himself. He has performed other functions as well as needed from communications to investigation. His social life may be shambles, but as a team player he is a good man to have at your back." The mobile armory and Iron Man then start to lift into the air, though Iron Man says. "If you wish to continue to converse, we may as well dual task and patrol at the same time." Vanguard nods. "Sounds good to me." He lifts off the ground as well, flying along beside Iron Man. "Though I may need to stop and change. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to J-Tech Industries for supplying me with my gear. But they're not Stark Enterprises. I go through several costumes a week, depending on how active I am. It's made out of some polymer that's supposed to pretty durable, but I often come across stuff that tears it to shreds." He eyes the armory again when it talks about stabbing him. "It's...um..not very friendly is it?" "When I tested the Iron Man armor when it was going through some major phase changes once, the robotic arm that worked the fire extinguister decided to fire it at me when I was not on fire; after Mr. Stark threatened to turn it into scrap metal if it fired on me again," note more than once, "if I was not truly on fire. He has never been able to find the programming glitch. Though the speech issues, is something he should be able to fix no problem." Another pause, "Still, it just may be due to his attention span." Stark does admit that about himself, he does lose interest quickly at times. "In either case, he should he would get on it sooner or later." He has more important things to do right now. "You are unusually strong, why are you not using an alloy base?" Vanguard shakes his head. "Never occured to me. I am still relatively new to the hero gig. I've been doing it a couple years now. And honestly, I'm pretty much taking what I can get at this point. I'm sort of testing stuff out, trying to see what works and what doesn't. I even changed my entire costume." he used to have a cape, and a full faced visored mask, but no longer. Which may be bad for Vanguard if Dedrick ever gets around Iron Man, as he has a facial recognition program. Iron Man nods in the air as the two fly, seeming attentive to scanning the area below as the mobile armory flies behind and a little above the two. "I have also went through many incarnations myself." Iron Man suddenly pulls up, the mobile armory almost bumping into him as a result. Iron Man turns to stare at the mobile armory before turning back to Vanguard, "How fast can you fly?" For some reason, he likes Vanguard. He reminds him a lot of Dedrick too, that fanboy awe, but with that honest feeling to him, that do-gooder feel. Actually, the kids remind him of Kinetic, before Kinetic got too far into undercover work. Vanguard looks around briefly before answering Iron Man. "Close to the speed of sound. Probably much slower than you. Why do you ask?" The fan-boy awe was something that he couldn't really help. He's getting to work with men and women that he had admired from afar. Being born and raised in Metropolis, means that he's been exposed to heroes like Superman and Wonderwoman. And when his meta gene activated, he could fathom no other future for himself than the one he's living now. A nod at that, "Well, let us not talk about this to others too much, shall we?" Iron Man then points toward NYC. "To Stark's lab at Avenger's Mansion. I'll show you that going through transformations is just part of the business." He will wait for Vanguard's acknowledgement before he turns in that direction, and the jet boots really kick up. He of course doesn't go as fast as he can for 1) Vanguard and 2) His Mobile Armory. Still, it will not take long at all to reach where they are heading. Vanguard nods in agreement and rockets off with Iron Man towards Stark's lab. He is not aware of Iron Man's facial recognition software, or that Stark probably has access to that even when he's not in the armor. He flies with his hands tucked in to his sides, stream lining his body to deal with wind resistance. "I dunno about this Iron Man. I'm sure Mr. Stark knows nothing about me. The papers say he's a pretty private guy." Location Change: Stark's Lab - Avenger's Mansion - New York City "He is," Iron Man responds back with a firm nod. "Too many people have betrayed him, or strove to use him or his technology for ill. He has reason to be distrustful of others. I exist because of mankind's darkness." He slows up as the two get over NYC, and slows up more as he comes above Avengers Mansion. He already sends the communications to permit entry into the air field about it, as him and his armor lower themselves steadily to the Earth. Below them, the landing pad where the jet sometimes rests when not in the garage opens up, to reveal a passageway down below. The armory goes in first this time, with Iron Man following in after. The mobile armory has to go in lengthways to fit. Vanguard decends slowly after Iron Man, his neck moving all around trying to look in all directions at once. He's trying really hard not to geek out and he's failing miserably. "I've died and gone to technologiacal heaven." He comments under his breath, though Iron Man probably can still pick up on it. "I can understand that. A man in his position has to protect his assets, you know?" Before he places his feet on solid ground, he asks. "When I touch the floor, are guns going to decend from the ceiling and shoot me?" He's remembering how the armory acted. "No," Iron Man states. "Just don't touch anything." Wise advice. Still, the mobile armory sails into a large lab and goes against one wall to settle down. Iron Man flies in and soon lands. To one side of the room lining the walls are his armors all through the ages. Some even show signs of war, and others appear freshly painted and cared for. Iron Man walks a little further in before turning to look at you and motioning toward the Iron Man suits. "Perhaps, it is because you remind me of Kinetic. He was the first mutant that joined the Avengers, he was freshly turned eighteen at the time. He was always amusing the older members of the team at times with his perspectives and how he acted around Captain America. However, he proved himself more than earning of our respect and the Avengers membership over and over again. He has been missed as an active member of the team. " Vanguard smiles a little as he lands softly on the floor, walking behind Iron Man and moving close to the armors to look but not touch. As he inspects them he nods to Iron Man's words. "Ah, so Kinetic is a mutant. I'm a Meta. In the grand scheme of things, not so different at all. Kinetic sounds like a pretty cool guy." He does pause when he mentions Captain America. "I read about Captain America. He's like, a legend." He peers around a little. "He's not here, is he?" "Merely which identify in the gene that mutates. But there are countless other ways to manipulate the genes through science and more; as even Captain America is an altered human with the Super Soldier serum." "I believe he is currently out of the Mansion. He has a lot of responsibilities," Iron Man informs. Iron Man instead goes toward the beginning, pointing to the armor. "That had to be recovered from enemy territory," he informs Vanguard. It looks worse for wear. "We call it, The Grey Armor." He does not talk more on it, though nods towrard the gold colored armor, "The Gold Armor, obviously. Mr. Stark's girlfriend at the time said if Iron Man was the color of gold he would be less intimidating, so that is how he was painted. That armor is still equipped with roller skates, I'm not kidding." Vanguard walks over to the Grey Armor first and inspects it. "Looks pretty bulky, though. I imagine it was a prototype?" He then moves over towards the Gold Armor. He frowns slightly and shakes his head. "I think a bright color like that is too flashy. The crimson and gold is a good mesh. All gold though?" A pause. "Wait, did you say roller skates?" "Told you, heroes go through many incarnations. Well, obviously, the red/gold armor was when the theme began, but it had staying power with the incarnation of what became known as the iconic armor. It was only recently that it changed," with the black and gold armor he know wears now. He does pause at Space Armor MK 1 however, tapping it with one metal finger. "My first space armor. And ignore the pure black one beside it, as if black makes the Stealth Armor all the more stealthy." There looks to be a more up-to-date bulky Grey armor beside the black one oddly enough. Vanguard nods. "Well, you've gone through a LOT of changes it seems." He looks at his own costume and flexes a little. "I really like this new design. I think it fits my personality before. Supergirl told me that I should show more of my face...it would make the public trust me more. Unforunately, I think that it also puts me at greater risk for my identity to be found out. But I decided to trust her." He moves to stand in front of the space armor and notes the different design and then he asks. "I heard that you have a special armor that you wear when the Hulk is out raging, but I don't see it." "There are risks in that," Iron Man admits. "Facial recognition programs are more and more common as well. I even have one in the Iron Man suit," he admits. "I just know how to keep my mouth shut tight, as do more people than you may realize. Not that I would actively suggest advertising one's identity." Iron Man then turns on his boot jets and hovers higher, to the third row up and points to a bullet looking armor, bulky, with massive shoulders. A juggernaut armor almost. "The Hulkbuster MK 1. A magno-hydraulic pseudomusculature, about 175 tons. Yes, this display rack is meant to hold some major weight." Perhaps Iron Man says these things to display a quirky sense of humor beneath the non-emotionally toned computerized voice. "I would not wish to use it against the current Hulk though, he has grown stronger over time." The armor he was wearing before the current version is actually placed before the Hulkbuster armor. The Hulkbuster armor is the last in the list of completed armors. "I suspect over time, Hulk will continue to increase in strength, theroically of course. However, the man inside Hulk has also been increasing his control, though it is still far from perfected." Vanguard comments with a serious expression. "I do this because it's what's right. I was born with gifts that should be used for the betterment of mankind. My family doesn't need to suffer because I made that choice." Which pretty much sums up why he wears the mask to begin with. Not to mention that as Dedrick Jones, there are multiple tabloids and paparazzi who try to make his life miserable anyways. He floats up to the third row and his eyes widen when he sees the Hulkbuster. "That's huge." He nods. "I saw a youtube video once of Hulk on a rampage through New York. He looked unstoppable." He turns towards the armor. "I used to be pretty confident that I could handle anything. That video made me question that." A nod at that. "That is the point of having a team however, to turn impossible odds, into possible odds. I hope you are learning that with the Titans," he informs Vanguard. "They can keep the pieces glued together, when everything else is falling apart, if you let them." Trust and brotherhood as they say. The boot jets start to de-power, and soon Iron Man lands with a light thump. "The point is, it isn't so much about getting the public to trust you as an individual, but you as a symbol. To trust your team as a unit. After all, individuals can make mistakes, they can fail, and they can bring shame. But a symbol lives on even after all of that. It carries a weight that no single individual can try to represent. It creates a legacy. That is what Captain America has created, and I suspect what many superheroes strive toward such as myself and Superman. The symbol is not a sum of us, but a reflection of our ideals." "I am not saying that Supergirl is wrong, just that there is a little more to it then simply exposing your face, Vanguard. And more to redesigning your outfit, than public trust," Iron Man attempts to explain. Vanguard listens with a rapt attention. It's not often that you get advice about the business from a veteran like Iron Man. And there is a possibility that he may never get this chance again, so he's making the most of it and soaking up any and all advice that he could get. "I find it difficult to trust people. I know that's not necessarily a bad quality, but the Titans are different. After being solo for so long, it is comforting having a team to fight with you." He smiles. "I really appreciate this, by the way. It's not often I get advice from a veteran hero." "Veteran...." Iron Man then nods, "I feel like a veteran some days." More like most days. "Now I think I know how Captain America feels." Did he make another jest? Still, "You will do fine Vanguard. Give people chances to earn your trust, but keep your most important secrets close to your heart. Just because you do not share one of your deepest secrets, does not mean you do not trust someone, or believe in them. Those are two completely different things, because some secrets are not kept merely for yourself." But honestly, it sounds like Vanguard has a good head on his shoulders, and he's open to others. He has been doing this for a few years. "May I inquire to how deep your relationship is with the J-Tech heir, Dedrick Jones?" Vanguard nods, again soaking up the wisdom in Iron Man's words. "I can see the two differences in that now." When asked about his relationship with his alter ego, he smiles faintly. "I helped him out of a tight scrape back when I first started. He was grateful and we've been colleagues since then. Since I was just getting my feet under me, he and his father Vincent Jones offered to pay for my gear. Dedrick's a great guy. You'd like him." Iron Man acknowledges that with, "Mr. Stark has met him. He has given him a positive review." Like a movie or a food dish? "It is one of the reasons I searched you out today, though I am glad I did. It lowered the property damage in Metropolis." Note, he does not say it saved Vanguard or even helped him out, it helped the property out. Basically...Vanguard could have handled things himself. Vanguard looks a tad bit sheepish at that. "And I appreciate the help. Though I wasn't really /trying/ to cause property damage, but you know.." He shrugs faintly. Guys like him are always getting knocked around. And he was still learning how to actually fight, so he was taking more hits than most experienced heroes. Though he does turn fully to Iron Man then. "Really. May I ask what's going on?" "Yes, I know. There are still battles that cannot help but cause massive damage, though the Avengers have learned a few tactics over times to help minimize it. It takes conscious effort." Iron Man then tilts his head slightly. "Going on?" And then it seems to hit him. "I see. I was curious. And when we spoke, you reminded me of Kinetic, and I remember we were all just beginning to learn what a team was back then. We never really mentored him, or gave him much of a helping hand. I like to think I have changed and developed over time." Vanguard ahs faintly, understanding. "Oh. Well the strength thing makes it difficult sometimes. I get hit, get knocked through a wall. I hit someone and knock them through a wall. Next thing I know, we've torn up a city block. Usually, though I'll volunteer to help fix it." "That does show a responsibility." But then there is a phone vibrating on one of the lab tables. Iron Man glances toward it. He could answer it wirelessly, but it may seem strange to suddenly have it go to voicemail with so few rings to Vanguard. He starts to walk over to it, because he has already traced the call. Pretending the phone as voice activation, Iron Man says, "Answer, Speakerphone." The speakerphone pops on. "This is Iron Man. Mr. Stark has left his phone at the Avengers Mansion. Is this urgent?" An Agent's voice speaks over the line, "Kensington Young has just been medically released. Mr. Stark had asked to be informed when this happened. She will still not be permitted visitors till tomorrow, likely after the bail hearing." "Thank you. I will let Mr. Stark know. He will arrange visitation at the proper time." The Agent then disconnects without further ado. Vanguard is aware of the stuff that happened in Central Park. Hell, he'd have offered to help if he wasn't in San Fransisco at the time. "Oh, that's about that mutant girl I saw on televison. How's that turning out by the way?" "Badly," Iron Man states. "There is a lot of political pressure for it to go to trial, I doubt it can be stopped though she was not acting under her own free will. Still, though compassionate, Mr. Stark does have some questions for her as her actions - willing or not - did result in deaths of employees at Stark Enterprises. This has not been easy on him because of that, and the fact his technology was once again used for ill intentions." Vanguard frowns. "Aw, man. When you see him, please give him my condolences." He nods. "I understand now why his security is so tight. He probably blames himself on a level. He invents this awesome device that could probably change the world and some yahoo with delusions of grandeur steals it and makes a death ray out of it. I'll even bet he claimed that it was all because of his own genius." he snorts. "Typical villan. I hope things go better for the girl though. Even though it's not her fault, she'll probably be held accountable." "Well, Mr. Stark did make a death ray out of it first, it was called the disintegrator. It was deactivated after he almost died from it when the Mandarin got ahold of the technology, and soon he deactivated all of his military contracts except with S.H.I.E.L.D. who was not known publicly at the time. Not too long after, even that contract was cancelled. The most Stark Enterprises does now for the military is armor and medical supplies, vehicles without weaponry, that sort of thing." Vanguard hmms. "So, Mr. Stark used to make weapons, but he stopped doing it because people kept using it for nefarious purposes? Makes sense." His communicator chirps and he places a hand to his ear. "Got it." He says out loud. He turns to Iron Man. "This has been awesome. And I hope that someone you'll let me come back and hang out with you again. But unfortunately, I have to go. My team needs me." He raises about a foot off the ground. The hatch slides open to permit Vanguard direct access to outside. "It has been a pleasure Vanguard. Please take care." The young man was easy to speak with. Vanguard lifts a hand as he floats upwards. "Same here. Take it easy, Iron Man." He goes out of the hatch and then accelerates away.